


Frostbitten Wings

by ManaWyrm



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Character Death, M/M, Minor James Rhodes/Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Minor Maria Hill/Natasha Romanov, Minor Sharon Carter/Steve Rogers, Minor T'Challa/M'Baku, Violence, reluctant allies to friends to lovers, shapeshifter AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:41:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21666841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ManaWyrm/pseuds/ManaWyrm
Summary: A rumor has been sparked within the cold lands of the tundra. Sam has been chosen to investigate the rumor by his clan leader but he'll have to take the rival clan's chosen scout too. The man is annoying, but a war threatens to break loose and he'll need all the help James can offer him.Shapeshifter AU
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson
Comments: 13
Kudos: 35





	Frostbitten Wings

**Author's Note:**

> All mistakes are mine and mine alone. The tundra is based heavily on Greenland as well as the food they eat and the name of the clans.

The sun was beginning to set over the glistening snow of the tundra, bathing the world in mellow shades as a tan gyrfalcon with dark tipped feathers circled above a mountain. The cold air ruffled his feathers as he began his decline; sharp talons transforming into fur lined snow boots. Sam stretched his arms, cracking his back, and shook his head, a smile gracing his relaxed features. He took a deep breath, feeling in love with the way the cold air filled his lungs and released it with a small huff. His eyes focused on two men and a woman walking their way to him and rolled his shoulders back as he began his descent to meet them. 

Tony smiled widely at him and encased Sam in a tight hug. 

“Hey, how’s my number two doing?”

Sam rolled his eyes, his mouth twitching in a smirk. Tony was the leader of the _Timmiaq Clan,_ and his mates Pepper and ‘Rhodey’ helped him co-lead the clan. They were all white tail eagle-shifters and highly respected in the clan, where as Sam, a mere falcon-shifter, was occasionally sneered at for not being a hawk-shifter or eagle-shifter despite being Tony’s second in command. Sam had been the first falcon-shifter in the history of the clan to rise in the ranks, far above most of the eagle-shifters in the clan and above all of the hawk-shifters in the clan; it had rubbed a lot of the clan members the wrong way but Sam didn’t mind and the leaders were quick to defend him. 

“I’m doing well, man. What brings you three up here?”

Pepper’s smile turned to a small frown and Tony shifted awkwardly while Rhodey sighed quietly. 

“The _Amarok_ are paying us a visit today,” the brunette leader resigned. “They say they have some news about our friends across the way in the jungle. They’re sending their leader himself, his mate, and a few of his elite warriors to convene with us. “

Tony put his hands up before the angry falcon-shifter could speak.

“I know you’re not fond of them - **none** of us are, Sam, but they said it was important. They hate us so I doubt they would meet with us if it wasn’t dire.”

Sam bit the inside of his mouth, his eyebrows furrowed together as he barely tried to reign in his unpleasant feelings that he associated with the _Amarok Clan._ They were a bunch of smelly, mangy-looking, harebrained, butt-sniffing pack of mutts that he’d rather never be anywhere close to. 

“Fine, Tony. Where are we meeting them and when?”

Tony pasted back on his goofy, well-natured smile before answering. “Well -- now! They’re in the meeting hall, so let’s get flying, Falcon!”

The falcon-shifter groaned internally before shapeshifting back into his gyrfalcon form and beating his wings lightly for take off. He soared gracefully through the air, the cold wind feeling slightly less inviting this time, as he headed down the mountains to the cluster of caves and log cabins. Pepper and Tony flew behind him leisurely, but Rhodey soared ahead making a high pitched squawk at him as he passed his left side. Sam returned the noise, determined to beat the other man to the meeting hall. 

Sam shifted back to his human form before stopping completely and slid closer to the wooden door than he would have liked as he dislodged and skated over the cold snow. Rhodey landed close beside him and slapped the hand kind-heartedly extended out to him. Tony and Pepper followed, the woman making sure none of her strawberry blonde hair had fallen out of the tight bun she kept it in. Satisfied that she looked presentable, the eagle-shifter lead the group into the cabin meeting hall and reminded the boys to shake off their boots before entering so they didn’t track slush into the building. 

Clint, a rough legged hawk-shifter, and his trainee Riley, a peregrine falcon-shifter, were already perched on some plush cushions. They were currently engaged in a glaring contest with a red haired woman with a tight black leather suit sitting opposite of them. A tall and muscular blond man stood up when he saw the four newcomers enter the cabin. 

“Steve,” the blond man introduced himself, “I’m the leader of the _Amarok Clan._ ”

Tony shook his hand with a big smile before introducing Pepper and Rhodey. Sam bowed his head in greeting and introduced himself but barely spared a glance at the wolf-shifter when he spotted a handsome man sitting next to the redhead’s right. He had shiny black hair that reached just past his shoulders and piercing blue eyes. His beard with trimmed back, the muscles in his legs flexing as he fought not to fidget on the cushion he was seated on. Sam’s eyes roamed his body, noting that the man only had one arm. 

The blond man, Steve, Sam reminded himself, cleared his throat and motioned for his clanmates to stand. Sam had been so focused on staring down the one armed man that he hadn’t noticed when Clint and Riley came to stand with them. He supposed that they had already been introduced. Sam shook his head to clear his mind so he would be more focused when the wolf-shifters introduced themselves. 

Steve put his hand on the shoulder of a blonde woman with a shy grin on her face. 

“This is Sharon, my mate. Next to her is Natasha and her mate Maria. They’re both some of our most elite warriors. Oh, and this is Buck - Um, sorry, James. He’s my second in command.”

Sam met James’s eyes, the blue eyes narrowing and thick black eyebrows raising. He shook the wolf-shifter’s warm hand firmly, lingering possibly for a second too long. They continued to half glare into each other’s eyes, trying to see who would break eye contact first. 

Steve cleared his throat loudly again causing James to break eye contact first and leaving Sam as the quiet victor. 

“So, let’s get down to why we’re meeting.”

Tony nodded, leading his clan to their seats. Sam settled to Rhodey’s right while Clint and Riley settled to Pepper’s left; Tony sat between Pepper and Rhodey. Across from them Sharon settled between Maria and Steve’s right side while James sat between Steve’s left side and Natasha. Sam briefly made eye contact with James again, shooting him a small sneer, before turning his attention to the wolf clan’s leader.

“I’ve heard a rumor.”

Tony merely lifted an eyebrow up, silently prompting the other clan leader to go on.

“I’ve been told that the _Bast Clan_ and _Gherke Clan_ are planning to align and bond all of the jungle clans in an alliance.”

The air was thick with tension as Steve continued.

"Their leader's sons and heirs, T’Challa from _Bast_ and M’Baku from _Gherke_ are going to marry. Once they marry the jungle clans will agree to follow their conjoined rule. And their next move?”

“Attack the tundra clans,” Tony assumed.

Steve nodded, closing his eyes; his eyebrows coming together to furrow.

“How can we be so sure that this rumor is true?”

“I have only heard it as a rumor passed on from the clans closer to the jungle than yours or mine,” the blond leader replied. “I would like to confirm it. That’s why I’m here. We both know that the _Amarok_ and the _Timmiaq_ are the biggest clans in the tundra and the other clans respect us. I want to have an alliance until we can confirm this rumor and dispose of the threat if there is one.”

“I see.” 

Sam watched as his clan leader stood up to pace the small cabin. The short brunette man stopped in front of the other clan leader.

“We need to send warriors out to confirm this rumor.”

The other leader simply nodded once again.

“Yes, I was thinking we could send a small group--”

“No,” Tony interrupted. “It’ll draw too much attention. We need to send one warrior from each clan. It’ll be easier to sneak around and they can watch each other’s back. Sam?”

Sam’s eyes widened a fraction as he looked up towards Tony. He didn’t need his leader to ask, and he stood up to stand with him. Steve stood up as well and gestured to the man to his left.

“Buck.”

James gracefully got up from his seat on the floor and turned to bow his head at Steve before nodding at Sam with a smirk on his stupid face. Sam gave him a fake toothy smile mostly for show before nodding back. 

Tony lead the group outside into the snow once more. The sky had darkened and the wind was blowing harder, making the already cold climate colder. 

“We have guest cabins your clan can stay in for the night and tomorrow we’ll send our boys out on their mission. Breakfast first, of course, before we send them into the unknown.”

Steve leaned over to give Tony a tight hug. 

“Thank you, Tony. I appreciate your hospitality.”

The brunette clapped the blond on the back as they parted.

“Of course, Steve. We’re allies now.”

Sam started the descent to his own cabin, silently cursing his luck. Of course he would be stuck with wolf-sitting in the dangerous jungle. He slammed the door open and then shut behind him, discarding his jacket onto a nearby chair. He ran his fingers over his face before kicking off his clothes and climbing into bed. Tomorrow would be the start to a very long journey. 

**✵✪✵**

Sam groaned softly as he rolled over onto his other side, the sunlight streaming in through the crack where the two curtains met and illuminating his bedroom in yellow sunshine. He blinked slowly, breathing deeply. He thought back to the day prior when he had been told that he was going to be paired with that stupid wolf-shifter for an unspecified amount of time while they scouted out the jungle and tried to figure out if that rumor was true. He closed his eyes again for a brief minute before he could convince himself to drag his stiff body out of his warm bed. 

He dressed quickly and threw necessities in the bag he’d be bringing with him on the trip. He packed lightly, mostly filling the bag with clean underwear and clothes that would bring him warmth in the chilly tundra. The man threw the bag over his shoulder as he stepped outside of his cabin, instantly feeling the cold air caress his bare neck, and locked the door behind him. The trip to the center of the clan dwelling was short from where Sam was situated and he could already smell the suaasat being cooked in the main fire pit. 

The falcon-shifter waited his turn in the line for the suaasat being served by two of the younger shifters in the clan. He gave a warm smile to the brunette who laddled the soup into his wooden bowl and she immediately blushed with a small giggle escaping her. Sam turned, his ego boosted a little, and found Riley sitting on a log separate from others. He plopped down on the log next to the other falcon-shifter, giving him a goofy smirk as he began eating his meal. Riley shifted around on the log before sighing quietly and facing his friend. 

"Are you worried, Sam?"

Sam raised an eyebrow, spoon in his mouth, and scratched the back of his neck absentmindedly.

"About the mission? No. I mean the tundra will be cold, but I can survive that, and I just need to do a little scouting. Just confirm that the rumor is true, come back, make a plan to ruin the wedding or whatever and then bam! Everything will be right as rain and the stinky wolves can go back to sniffing their butts or chasing sticks."

Riley sighed again, more loudly this time. 

"Do you really think if the wedding rumors are true, we'll just kick their asses and go back to normal? What if they're prepared for that? What if they're already married and the jungle clans are going to ambush us and--"

"Riley, relax," the darker falcon-shifter said softly as he squeezed the other's shoulder. "First thing first. I'm going to find out if the engagement is even real. We'll figure it out from there."

The other smiled wryly and turned his attention back to the cooling soup in his bowl. Sam also went to turn his attention back to his food but he saw a figure shifting uncomfortably in his peripheral vision. He craned his neck minutely to get a look and saw none other than James standing in the food line while the bird-shifters around him openly gawked at him. Sam would have felt bad if the other wasn't part of a rival clan, temporary alliance be damned. 

The dark haired man fumbled with his bowl as he took a seat in the far outer ring of the logs, pushing the spoon aside so he could drink out of the bowl. Sam expected the other to ravage his food but he was surprised by the way James didn't let any of the broth dribble out his mouth and chewed the meat quietly. 

"I heard he's really dangerous," Riley mumbled next to him. 

"Hm?"

"The white wolf. He's the only one of his kind in the clan and they say he's more dangerous for it. Something about the way he lost his arm was because he was fighting a whole group of panthers. One of them ripped off his arm and he lost it -- slaughtered them all and then ate their remains. Came back to his clan one arm less but painted in panther blood. He's some sort of hero is his clan, but to me that sounds barbaric. Who survives something like that? And why did he eat them?"

Sam shook his head. "Man, where'd you hear a wack story like that?"

The other shrugged his shoulders. "Around."

"Well, you tell 'around' that they're full of shit," Sam chuckled as he stood up with his empty bowl. He spotted Tony walking his way with James in tow, probably to do a briefing before they sent him and James out. He nodded at Riley and called out to him as he walked away, "wish me luck! I might not make it back."

"Don't become puppy chow," Riley yelled back with humor. 

Sam caught James rolling his eyes as he finally reached the other two shifter. The darker man merely smirked at him. Tony made a quiet sound of amusement before leading them to the group with the other clan leaders. 

**✵✪✵**

The briefing was quick. There wasn't a lot of information so the mission was simple: go in, find out what exactly is going on, don't get caught, and possibly come back alive. Sam wasn't so sure if they'd both make it back alive; James was already getting on his nerves and it was only a little past mid-day. They'd been walking for a few hours, since their bags made it difficult to shift, and during that time James had already "accidentally" kicked a rock at Sam, ate some of their limited emergency jerky, and sneezed super loudly while Sam was trying to hunt a rabbit for lunch and scared it away. The falcon-shifter really wanted to push the wolf-shifter into a deep snow bank and leave him there. Alas, he still had a mission to complete and even he could admit that doing it alone would be dangerous and difficult. The only reprieve Sam got was that James didn't seem to be much of a talker besides "sorry". He wasn't sure if that annoyed him more or less. 

"We should find shelter soon for the night."

Sam looked up at the man walking in front of him and noticed that indeed, the sun would start going down soon. It would be near impossible to trek through the dark in the snow without someone slipping and getting hurt. The falcon-shifter nodded his head, looking for a nearby cave they could stay in for the night. Luckily, they came upon one not 30 minutes later and huddled inside the entrance as the sun started to dip below the skyline. 

Sam's eyes scanned the interior and noticed rocks and small plants growing alongside the edges. James wandered outside again to break some branches off a nearby tree for firewood as Sam created a small fire pit with wet rocks. When James finally came back it was with a pile of semi-dry branches under his arm and two dead rabbits in his hands. 

"It's an apology for earlier. I didn't mean to scare your lunch away," he explained softly as he dropped the wood in the makeshift fire pit and sat on the ground. 

Sam pulled out his box of matches from his bag and struck one, tossing it into the wood pile. 

"I'll skin the rabbits and roast them if you go around the cave to find some edible berries," the falcon-shifter offered, eyeing the man next to him as he was handed a knife. 

James stood and began scouring the edges of the cave for edible berries. He plucked a few from their plants, sniffing them before putting them in his mouth and then immediately spitting them back out. He heard a snort of laughter and turned to glare at the man by the fire who was supposed to be skinning their dinner not redirecting his eyes and trying to keep his amusement under control. He eventually did find berries that he recognized to be safe and collected them, bringing them back to Sam who was currently roasting the rabbits on a metal, retractable roasting stick that he apparently brought with him everywhere. He carefully sat down next to him, placing the berries in a pile on top of his backpack. He removed the glove off of his hand with his teeth and extended his arm, feeling the flames tickle and warm his fingers. 

“If you get your hand too close to the flame, it’ll catch on fire and I’m not peeing on you to put the fire out,” Sam remarked.

James snorted. 

“As if. I would run outside and stick my hand in the snow.”

“Seems like you’ve got it all planned out, man.”

The wolf-shifter half smiled at his self-declared rival as he took the cooked meat that was extended to him. They ate quietly as the wind outside howled, occasional gusts of wind chilling them and causing the flames bounce. Their fingers brushed accidentally a few times as they reached for the berries between them, neither man acknowledging out loud the brief contact. Before long the sun was completely gone and the only light was the dwindling fire. 

James pulled out a small plastic square container with some sort of dark blue material inside. He opened the container and pulled out the material which expanded into a decent sized blanket. 

“How did that even fit in there,” Sam inquired gruffly.

The fairer man raised an eyebrow. 

“What? You don’t have one of these?”

“Does it look like I have one of those?”

James fought the smirk that threatened to emerge. 

“We can share,” he offered.

This time Sam raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. “I don’t know--,” he started.

The wolf-shifter grabbed his arm with a deep scowl gracing his features as he looked in his rival’s eyes. 

“Okay, okay. Fine! You don’t have to twist my arm to get me to sleep with you, man.” 

James barked out a loud and rich laugh at the unexpected comment. Sam felt his stomach swoop and his cheeks burn when he heard it, the feeling sliding down his spine and making him feel like he was flying for just a moment. An unusual response to getting laughed at by someone who he shouldn’t trust. Doesn’t trust, Sam corrected himself. 

The two men climbed underneath the blanket, their backs barely an inch apart. The falcon-shifter didn’t let himself fall asleep until he heard the tell-tale signs of James being asleep, a soft snore emitting from him. His eyes drooped closed as he let his sleepiness take over. 

The next day was much the same, excluding the fact James did not scare off any more prey. The day after they woke up early as the sun shone on their faces. They groggily packed their belongings and ate a breakfast of questionable fruit and jerky in the early morning silence. 

The two shifters marched out of the cave heavily and Sam smiled to himself. 

“Look, we’re nearly to the jungle border.”

James uttered something Sam couldn’t completely hear. The border was a day’s journey, a day and a half if they dragged their feet. Sam heard the crack underneath his boots before he felt the snow below him give away and he fell. 

**✵✪✵**

Sam blinked a few times, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the glow of the lamp next to him. His head ached as he shifted himself onto his elbows, eyes squinted as he tried to take in the scene. He was currently in a tent he didn’t recognize, soft blankets made of fur beneath him, and an oil lamp next to his spot on the ground. The reason he was in this tent was currently lounging on the other side of lamp focusing on the book in his hand. 

_Mmph_

James’s head snapped up, worried blue eyes meeting Sam’s dazed brown ones. He crawled to the injured man’s side and gently pushed him back down. 

“You hit your head on a rock,” the man by his side disclosed. “and before you ask, we are at the _Aput Clan._ They have sent a messenger to your clan to let them know.” 

Sam groaned quietly. The last thing he wanted was for this mission to be delayed due to his own foolishness. 

“The owls have been nice enough to offer us this tent to stay in until you recover.”

There was a pause, the silence filling in the space between the two.

“Are you hungry?”

The falcon-shifter slowly nodded, letting his eyes close. The other quietly walked out of the tent, a small breeze entering as he left. When Sam opened his eyes again he noticed a tray next to him with water, brown bread, and some sort of steaming soup with meat and vegetables. He carefully ate until he was full, washing it down the cup of room temperature water. By the time he put the tray back to the side of the blanket bed James strode in. He was carrying the book again and another fur. Brown eyes followed him as he placed the fur next to Sam’s blankets and stretched out on his stomach, re-opening the book to continue reading. The younger man shifted around until he was on his side to look at his rival. 

“What are you reading?”

“ _The Jungle Book.”_

Sam frowned, eyebrows furrowing. 

“Seriously?”

“No. I’m reading _Lord of the Flies_.”

“James,” Sam chided jokingly, sending shivers down the other man’s spine. “I almost believed you.”

The other hummed in response, trying to control the inappropriate flush that was on his face. He watched through the corner of his eye as Sam rolls over onto his other side. 

“They get rescued in the end, by the way.”

James scowled, reaching out to swat Sam on his shoulder with his book which caused the falcon-shifter to giggle. 

“I hate you.”

Sam waved the other man off. He closed his eyes again, a small smirk playing on his lips. James waited until he thought the falcon-shifter was asleep before reaching a tentative hand out and tracing a seam on the back of his shirt. 

“For someone who hates me, you sure like to touch me,” the darker shifter mused. 

“There was just a bug on you, Sam. Don’t get a big head,” the older man grumbled, turning on his side so his back was facing the other. 

“Yeah, sure. Goodnight, James.”

“Goodnight, Sam.”

**✵✪✵**

The few days that followed were rough for Sam. He had to spend most of the day in the blankets while James carted food back and forth for him, reading books in his spare time. When the owl-shifter healer finally gave them the okay, Sam practically rushed out of the tent. He threw his fists in the air and whooped at his freedom. A man dressed in all white with shaggy light brown hair approached the two visitors. 

The eldest of the two noticed the strange man approaching them first and bowed his head. The falcon-shifter walked forward to meet the other, bowing his head as well.

“Thank you, _Aput_ leader, for your hospitality and for your healer saving my life.” 

“Please, call me Marc,” the white dressed man stated. “I’ll admit I was a little surprised to have a frantic wolf-shifter stampeding in my camp with a limp falcon-shifter on his back, but I’m always happy to help our brethren, even if for some reason they’re romping around with a wolf-shifter.”

James awkwardly shifted his weight foot to foot as Marc and Sam joked around. Eventually Marc clapped Sam on the back and gave him more rations for their travel, sharing a knowing look between the two of them. 

“I wish I could tell you more, Marc, but for now we’re just trying to find out the truth,” Sam was saying as James finally neared, trying to nudge Sam into hurrying it up. 

"I understand, Samuel." --- anger blossomed in the wolf-shifter's chest --- "Please do not worry, and if you can, please keep me updated."

"I will contact you as soon as I have news."

With that James and Sam went on their way towards the jungle. It was quiet as the hours ticked by and the sun met the middle of the sky and then started to descend again. The darker man could feel the other glaring holes into the back of his head.

"What's up, man?"

"Nothing."

The silence was nearly unbearable but then James spoke again.

"Why'd he call you Samuel?"

"Because it's my name."

"Your name is Sam."

The man rolled his eyes to stare at the fluffy clouds exasperatedly. 

"Same difference. What's it to you? You jealous or something?"

That got an indignant sound of disbelief from James as he quickened his pace to be ahead of Sam.

"Of course not. Are you jealous or something?"

"Of what," Sam inquired with a quirked eyebrow. 

"Of this fine ass."

Sam wheezed out a laugh at his companion's - when did he start referring to James as a companion? - ridiculous comment. 

"Sure, man. Sure."

The talking seized for the most part during their walk but this time it wasn't uncomfortable. By the time they hit the muddy marsh where snow met grass, the sun was sinking. 

"We should sleep in the trees," James announced. 

A long drawn out exhale came from behind him. 

"Seriously?"

"Serious as serious can be, doll."

Sam grunted, pointedly ignoring the pet name, and watched as James started to scale a nearby tree. He followed him up the tree and glared at the hand that James extended to him as the latter squatted on a thick branch, but took it nonetheless and hauled himself up to another thick branch. They placed their packs on separate branches but still close enough to be grabbed quickly.

"At least it's warmer in the jungle," James offered. 

Sam shot a deadly glance that he wasn't sure the man opposite of him could see. 

"Shut up and go to sleep. We scout in the morning and then we can go home."

The next thing Sam remembered was being woken by James gently shaking his shoulder. He opened his mouth to ask why the hell he had been awoken while it was still dark out but a cold hand covered his mouth and then pointed to the ground below them. Not 20 feet away were two dark skinned women chatting quietly while they strolled closer. Sam shifted into his falcon form and perched on James's shoulder to watch the women. 

"Do you really think T'Challa is going to go through with the marriage to M'Baku?" one of the women questioned, twisting her gold bracelets around her wrist. 

The other woman snorted, running her perfectly manicured hand through her long pink braids. 

"Haven't you seen those two together? They're all over each other; they're completely smitten and they aren't even married yet!" 

'Distract them?' James mouthed to Sam. Sam's response was to swoop low near the women and cry out. While the women were distracted James jumped from the tree and shifted into his wolf form as he landed on the woman with pink braids. He used his front paw to push down on her shoulder and bared his teeth against her neck. Her companion whipped around, tugging at the knife in her belt before Sam swooped down and used his talons to strike across her right eye. She screamed, giving Sam the chance to change back into his human form and push her against the tree with her arm trapped between her back and his chest. He could feel the girl beginning to shift into her animal form. 

“I wouldn’t try that if I were you,” he hissed in her ear. “Otherwise my wolf pal over there is going to make a meal of your girl.”

The women continued to flail until they realized that they weren’t going to get away without dying. 

“What do you want?” the woman with pink braids spat.

“We want to know about the marriage,” Sam demanded.

“What marriage?”

“Don’t fuck with us,” he warned as he slid his own knife out and put it flat against the women’s neck. 

“We’ll tell you,” the woman beneath Sam conceded. “The son of the _Gherke Clan’s_ leader, M’Baku, and the son of the _Bast Clan’s_ leader, T’Challa, are to wed by the end of this week.”

“Why?”

“To fortify the alliance between all of the clans.”

“And then what?”

The woman went silent.

“And then what,” Sam pressed again, digging the knife into her throat to draw a thin line of blood.

“And then we attack the clans of the tundra one by one,” the woman with pink braids admitted. 

“Who is first?”

“I don’t know. They don’t share those plans. We just know it’ll happen after they wed.”

“Great, you’ve been helpful,” Sam said as he let his grip loosen. “James?”

James didn’t say anything but closed his mouth around the woman’s neck who was beneath him and bit down. Her scream was garbled as the light began to leave her eyes.

“Mya!” the woman beneath Sam cried out and wiggled away to run towards her. She didn’t get far before dark hands grabbed her by the neck and twisted, snapping her neck. Her body dropped to the jungle floor next to the other woman. 

James shifted back to his human form, mouth still dripping with fresh blood. He wiped at it with his sleeve and pointed his head towards the tree they were in previously. “Let’s put ‘em up there. It’ll take them a little longer to find their bodies.”

Heaving the women up the tree and making sure they weren’t visible at ground level was done quickly and then the men slipped back out of the jungle to tread back towards the _Aput Clan_ camp. 

“How do we know they were telling the truth?”

Sam turned his head to look at his companion. “We don’t but it’s more than what we had earlier. It sounds like your clan’s suspicions were correct.”

Not much else was said as they made their way back to the camp. Marc greeted them at the entrance of the camp, a worried look in his eyes as he surveyed the two men. He tried to get them to stay but Sam was insistent that they continued home as it was only mid-day; they only stopped to warn Marc. Marc reassured them he’d have his clan leave by dawn the next day and they’d have their warriors meet at _Amarok_ camp and the rest of the villagers go to the _Timmiaq_ camp. 

The journey to the _Amarok Clan_ was a day and a half at most on foot. They found a cave to rest in just as the sun went down, backs touching under the blanket to keep out the cold, and rose again just before the sun did. 

**✵✪✵**

Any pre-existing ideas Sam had about the wolf camp were quickly stamped out. It was nothing like he expected. Where he thought there would be chaos and messiness was actually organization and cleanliness. The rows of cabins were neat and the camp was guarded thoroughly on all sides. When one of the guards at the main entrance, ‘Natasha’ Sam remembered, recognized James, she threw down her spear and ran to engulf him in a tight hug. 

“Thank the gods that you’re back, Bucky!”

James let out a small huff of amusement as he held Natasha back tightly. “Don’t thank too many gods yet. We came back with some sour news.”

The redhead drew back, her lips pursed and eyes narrowed as she looked Sam up and down. She only grunted when Sam tried to smile at her. 

“I suppose you’ll want to see Steve then?”

“Spot on like always,” James chuckled. 

Natasha led them straight to the center of the camp and veered right to a large cabin. She knocked thrice before opening the door and stepping aside to let the two others in. 

“Hey, Steve? Bucky and uhh-”

“Sam.”

“Yeah, the falcon guy, are here.”

A blond haired man emerged and stood in the middle of the room they had been led to. A large smile broke out on his face as he pulled James into a tight hug, no different than Natasha had done to him previously. It must have been the unamused look on Sam’s face but James grinned sheepishly at Sam and brushed his knuckles briefly against the other man’s. It wasn’t even a half of a second touch but it sent a spark through Sam and he had to look away to keep the heat from going to his face. 

“Come, sit. Tell us what you two have found out.”

They plopped wearily down on the cushions, not unlike the ones at the _Timmiaq Clan_ , while Steve and Natasha sat across from them more delicately. James began to debrief Steve while Sam felt like he was zoning in and out. Steve’s rough voice snapped him out of his stupor.

“So it’s true then. They’re getting married. They’re going to try to kill us all.”

“From what we were told, yes. We need to band together now. We need to get to them before they get to us,” James stated, his chin gutting out slightly. “The _Aput Clan_ are sending their warriors our way and sending the rest of their clan to the _Timmiaq_ , but we still need to warn the _Nanoq Clan, Tuttoq Clan,_ and the _Terianniaq Clan.”_

Steve nodded, his eyes closing as if he were thinking. 

“Okay, tomorrow I’ll send you to gather foxes, Buck. Natasha, I will have you round up the bears and tell Maria to go to the _Timmiaq_ to give them a status update. Sam?” 

Sam turned to focus on Steve, their eyes meeting as the taller man smiled. 

“Can you gather the caribou?”

“Of course,” Sam replied, a half-smile gracing his features. 

“Thank you.” Steve rubbed his hands together before standing back up. “Please, go get some dinner and then James can show you to the guest cabin. We’ll all need as much rest as possible for the upcoming battle.”

Dinner was being served in the center of camp, but unlike Sam’s own clan, the shifters dispersed after getting their share. Most went back to their dwellings and Sam was left standing awkwardly next to James as they were served a hearty batch of muktuk soup with potatoes, onions, and rice. The wolf-shifter led his companion further away from the middle of the camp until they stopped in front of a small wooden cabin. 

“This is the nicer guest cabin,” James announced as he handed his bowl of soup to Sam so he could unlock the front door. 

The inside was cozy with two plush chairs, a small table, a book shelf, a queen size bed, and a place to hang clothes. The falcon-shifter handed back James’s bowl and walked inside, grateful for the slightly warmer air and more appreciative still of the fireplace that had initially gone unnoticed. 

“There’s wood by the fireplace and matches on the table.”

“Thanks, man,” Sam said as he turned to stare at James who was still in the doorway. He stuttered for a moment, unsure of whether or not to invite the other man in. It wasn’t like it was his cabin but James was probably too polite to intrude anyway.

“See you tomorrow at breakfast?” James asked as he glanced away.

“Yeah, see you tomorrow at breakfast,” Sam repeated back quietly.

In the next moment the brunette was gone and Sam was left along with his quickly cooling soup. He placed his food on the small table and quickly lit up the fireplace. Once he lounged back in a chair and sipped at his soup, his mind wandered to James. It was weird to think in the week that they had been together that they had grown into . . . what? Acquaintances? Allies? Friends? ‘ _Possibly enemies-to-lovers?’_ his brain supplied unhelpfully. He shook himself and sighed heavily, his eyes roaming to the bed. One thing was for sure, the bed looked lonely without James beside him. 

He must’ve fallen asleep because the incessant knocking at the cabin door awoke him from his dreams. He groaned, rubbing his eyes, and moved the book he was reading from his chest to the small table. He stretched as he reached the door, yanking it open. James was on the other side, biting the side of his bottom lip and eyes darting away from Sam when the door was opened. 

“Hey, again,” the wolf-shifter stuttered. “I didn’t realize you were asleep. I can go.”

Sam reached out to grab James by the arm before he could turn away and tugged on him gently.

“Nah, man. Come in.”

As Sam stoked the fire again, bringing more light into the tiny cabin, James paced quietly in a circle with a drawn face. 

“What’s up? I can feel your worry from here,” Sam prompted. 

James stopped pacing but didn’t say anything as he stared into Sam’s eyes. Sam was starting to get uncomfortable with the staring when the other stepped close to him, hand wavering near Sam’s hip. He could feel the other man’s breath on his face when he spoke, “Just one night?”

Sam’s eyebrows drew together in confusion as he searched James’s blue eyes. Realization dawned on him and he could feel his face heat up and butterflies swarm his stomach. 

“Just one night,” he parroted back. 

It was apparently enough for James as his hand tightened on Sam’s waist and drew him to his chest. Sam tangled one hand in the soft locks and the other dug into the other’s firm back as they kissed dangerously close to desperate. He felt his own back hit a solid wall and James’s thigh slotted between his legs. He didn’t fight his instincts as he rolled his hips, drawing moans from both of their lips. 

Gasps and laughter bounced off the walls as cold hands met newly unclothed skin but they quickly melted into groans of pleasure. Sam panted James’s name like a prayer while their bare bodies rutted against each other on the bed earning him sloppy wet kisses up his neck. James cried out when he released against Sam’s pliant body beneath him and held the other man close while he jerked him until he came as well. 

Sam laced their hands together, cozying up to the warm body next to him under the blanket. He was quiet for a moment, allowing them both to catch their breath. 

“Hey, James? Can I ask you something?”

A grunt was the response he got.

“How’d you lose your arm?”

“I never lost it.”

Sam turned his head upwards so he could stare at James.

“I was just born without it,” the wolf-shifter explained. 

“I knew Riley was full of shit,” he murmured.

“Hm?”

“Nothing. Follow up question: why does everyone here call you ‘Bucky?’”

James rolled his eyes with a huff before answering, “It’s a stupid childhood name. My mom started it and then Steve picked it up. And well, Steve’s the leader so now everyone uses it. You can call me that too, if you want.”

“Bucky,” Sam tried. It felt weird and foreign on his tongue. He wasn’t so sure he liked the nickname. 

“Yep, but y’know,” James leaned close so he could whisper in Sam’s ear. “I think it’s so much hotter when you call me James.”

A smirk appeared on Sam’s face as he climbed on top of James to straddle him. 

“Why don’t you show me how hot you find it?”

  
  


**✵✪✵**

Sam groaned as he rolled over onto his side and snuggled up closer to the warm body beside him. 

“Sam, we have to get up.”

The man snuggled his face deeper into the other’s warm neck. 

“Come on. We have to go visit the other clans today.”

“But what if we stayed here instead and I slept more?”

He felt the lightest of kisses touch his brow before James started to stir and sit up. He groaned dramatically as he opened his eyes and sat up as well. 

“This is bullshit.”

James snickered at him as he pulled himself out of the bed and started throwing last night’s clothes on. “You’ll have plenty of time to sleep once this is all over.”

Sam grunted as he rolled out of bed and stretched. “See you at breakfast?”

A small smile appeared on James’s face as he answered, “Yeah, see you at breakfast.”

Breakfast was much the same as dinner the night previous as far as clan members dispersing to their own cabins to eat, but Bucky and Sam were one of the rare few who hung outside and ate their food together. Steve joined them not long after, and okay, maybe wolf-shifters weren’t all bad, especially when the blond had him clutching his side with laughter. Sam wished he could have prolonged this but he knew in his heart that he would have to leave James today and he didn’t know exactly when he would see him next; that hurt. 

James gripped Sam’s hand tightly before they separated, a brief glance shared between them before they separated. 

“See you soon, Sam,” James promised.

“See you soon, James,” Sam repeated as he shifted into his falcon form once more. 

He beat his wings as he rose higher in the sky, the cold wind ruffling his feathers as he picked up speed. It had been over a week since he had flown like this and nothing had made him feel more carefree. It was near a day’s flight to the _Tuttoq Clan_ and it was two hours before sundown when Sam finally landed. He reached down to touch his toes, cracking his back in the process, and jogged toward the clan’s camp. 

Sam nodded his head at the warriors guarding the camp and explained who he was and why he was there. They flanked him as they led him to their leader, a woman with intricate braids and flowing robes named Val. He spent the next two hours eating dinner with the woman and earning her trust as he explained everything that had led them to this moment. She agreed to have her clan leave in the morning to travel with him to his own home. 

He was being shown the guest quarters when he heard the familiar sound of a falcon calling down to him. Riley shifted into his human form, clutching Sam’s arms with a wild look in his eyes. 

“Riley? What’s going on?”

Riley shuddered violently, closing his eyes. “They’ve attacked.”

Sam’s eyes widened in surprise. He thought he had at least a few more day’s time before the jungle clans decided to attack, but perhaps T’Challa and M’Baku had married hastily once they found the dead bodies. 

“Sam,” Riley started. “Sam, they’ve attacked the _Terianniaq._ The foxes.”

“James,” Sam murmured, fear striking into his heart like a freezing burst of wind. 

“They’re sending the troops there now, but,” Riley started again but hesitated. “They don’t think anyone survived the ambush except for the one who ended up running back to the _Amarok Clan_.”

Sam was already running towards the exit of the camp. “Riley, lead the caribou. I have to go. I have to go find --” 

Sam never ended up finishing his sentence as he shifted and soared into the air. This time he didn’t feel carefree. He felt nausea boil at the bottom of his stomach and the chill of fear far colder than the air he was flying in. He had to reach James. 

The night turned to morning once more but Sam didn't stop. The adrenaline pouring into his veins kept him awake as he flew. He smelled it before he saw it; the camp was aflame and he could see shifters fighting among the heat. He didn't stop to take in the view as he dove down, grasping a mamba in his claws and speeding back up into the air. He could feel the mamba beneath him trying to shift to human form so he dropped it. He didn't have to see what happened because he heard the crack of skull meeting rock and the thick smell of copper wafted up to him. No one could survive a fall like that. 

Sam swooped back down, grabbing various mambas and dropping them to their demise. He swooped for the last time and shifted back to his human form among a mixed group of wolves, bears, and owls. He grabbed a knife protruding from a corpse and wielded it as he slashed through panthers, gorillas, okapi, crocodiles, and elephants. 

The battle lasted into the next day when the caribou arrived and the day after that when the snow fell from the sky and snuffed out the last of the flames. Sam had searched for James but everyone he encountered couldn't tell him where he was or if he was even still alive. He didn't see Tony or Steve or Rhodey either, but he did find Riley. He held him until he took his last breath, eyes glazing over as blood seeped through his shirt. Sam had snapped the neck of the person who had taken Riley's life and at that point he didn't register if it was a man or a woman. 

But the snowfall had weakened the jungle clans and left the tundra clans with an advantage. Sam watched as the jungle clans fled, tails tucked and teeth still bared. But Sam didn't care. He hadn't cared when he heard the anguished cries of his enemies finding loved ones with eyes plucked and faces disfigured from talons. They had started this and they had taken from him. And the worst part was that he wasn't even sure what they had taken from him yet. Had they taken James from him? Tony? Pepper? Rhodey? Clint? He knew they had taken Riley. 

The day after was dedicated to identifying and burying the lost. That's where he found Maria howling over the body of her mate, Natasha. He held the wolf-shifter until her howls of anguish turned to wet sobs and her wet sobs turned to congested sniffles. He led her to one of the only clean beds he could find and put a warm bowl of soup in her hand but he knew she wouldn't eat. He left her there with silent tears running down her cheeks and a broken heart. He still had to find James. 

Later that evening is when he heard that the leaders and second in command of each clan was to meet at the cabin beneath the giant oak tree. That's where Sam found Pepper and Rhodey huddled together, sans Tony. He held them both close as he cried and cried until he felt like he couldn't cry any longer. 

"He loved you, Sam. Always thought you were the best," Rhodey told him heavily, as if he were trying to comfort Sam when he had just lost one of his mates. 

He held Rhodey tightly and rubbed circles on his back while Pepper collapsed against a grieving Sharon. She had learned from Sam that Natasha hadn't made it. 

"Sam."

Sam turned abruptly. He would recognize that voice anywhere. There he was, standing in the doorway, dirt streaked face and sad blue eyes. 

"James."

Sam ran to James, the best he could with a limp from a gnarly gash on his left leg. He threw his arms around James and surprised himself with how many tears he still had stored up. He was lying in a heap with James, slouched against a wall when his tears finally ceased. He tangled his hand with the wolf-shifter. 

"Natasha," Sam began. "She didn't make it. I found Maria over her. I'm so sorry. I am so, so sorry."

He watched fresh tears bloom in James's eyes and fought the urge to wipe them away. It wouldn't help, they would just reappear. Wide and wet blue eyes scanned the room, looking for more damage.

"Tony?"

Sam shook his head and bit back another wail. James freed his hand to cradle Sam's cheek. He slowly leaned forward until their foreheads were pressed together, looking into the soft brown eyes of his companion. They didn't have to say anything to feel comforted by one another. 

Sam couldn't remember if he fell asleep. He had a bad habit of that, but James gently shook him awake and led him outside to watch the sun rise. Their fingers laced together as the rays of light caused the snow to glisten in front of them. They had lost so much. They had been lucky not to lose everything. At least not yet, but the panther and the gorilla were still out there plotting another battle in this just beginning war. 

"They'll pay for this."

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is [gayoccultism](https://gayoccultism.tumblr.com). Yell about sambucky with me.


End file.
